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In the 9pm-10pm slot, 'Taggart' on ITV took the lion's share of the audience with 6.6m, or 28% of viewers. BBC One's 'The Killer Waves: A Real Story Special' garnered 4.3m, or 18%, while Five's movie 'Big Trouble in Little China' secured 1.6m or 7%. BBC Two's 'Drugland' was left out in the cold with 1.5m or 5%.

Last night's third series opener of 'Celebrity Big Brother' was not enough to beat the 2002 opening night of the show, which gave Channel 4 its best-ever first night figures with 7.2m or 29%. It did fare better than the 2001 opening edition of the show which attracted 4.4m or 18.4%.

A Channel 4 Spokesman, said: "We are delighted that following the success of Desperate Housewives, we have had another strong night and such a fantastic start to 2005."

Rachel Stevens' former boyfriend, actor Jeremy Edwards, is the favourite to win the third 'Celebrity Big Brother' with his odds already halved to 2/1 and racing pundit John McCririck tipped to go first.

Edwards, a former 'Hollyoaks' and 'Holby City' actor, saw his odds cut by bookies Ladbrokes from 4/1 to 2/1 as early favourite and former Happy Mondays dancer Bez slipped in the running.

Ladbrokes also expressed concern about Channel 4 racing pundit McCririck, who has been communicating with the outside world using the "tic-tac" betting language. Before he went into the house he asked viewers to vote him out first.

Warren Lush, the Ladbrokes spokesman, said: "Punters seem smitten with Jeremy and we've been forced to slash his odds in half. As an avid 'Big Brother' fan, we have little doubt that he is playing a game. He's going to sit back, watch others explode and then make his move with schoolboy pranks. Bookies also consider the fact that as eye candy for the ladies he's bound to be popular."

"With John McCririck being a bit of a wizard of odds we won't hesitate to call a stewards' inquiry if we suspect he is using tic-tac betting language communication with the outside world to try to take us to the cleaners."

Lush added that if the bookmakers spot him using his "tic-tac" messaging skills it will complain to Channel 4.

"It is clear that McCririck's behaviour has gone down like a lead balloon with punters and fellow housemates, and his odds on winning have doubled from 8/1 to 16/1 overnight, making him a rank outsider. The racing pundit is 3/1 favourite to be evicted first, and 5/2 favourite to walk out on his own accord," he said.

Bookies fancy, however, that the housemates most likely to pair off are Caprice and Edwards, and Ladbrokes is offering odds of 6/1 on that.

Odds on winning Celebrity Big Brother

2/1 from 4/1 Jeremy Edwards

3/1 Bez

5/1 Kenzie - Blazin' Squad

6/1 Germaine Greer

9/1 from 12/1 Brigitte Nielsen

10/1 Caprice

16/1 Lisa I'Anson

16/1 from 8/1 John McCrirrick

16/1 Any other

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